Going green isn’t only about recycling. It’s also about reusing the things you already own for other purposes. This has been named repurposing. When it comes to moving some things to storage, repurposing some of your older items is a good way to go green.

For instance, if you use crates to move some of your larger objects, you can repurpose them, after storage, as tables or chairs. The wood in the pallet is still good to use, even if you don’t need to use the pallet anymore. If nothing else, create some birdhouses with it. It’s a good project for the family, if nothing else. And it ensures the wood doesn’t just rot in a landfill.

Many people, by default, acquire cardboard boxes to store everything. From books to picture frames, some people can use dozens of boxes. Try using furniture for storage that you already own. Picture frames and books can fit inside dressers. And you can lay out clothes on couches. Or set up a moveable closet to hang pictures. There are a lot of ways to avoid using boxes to store your things.

When you do buy anything for storage, make sure, at the very least, it’s recyclable. That way, when you don’t need storage anymore, and you don’t have use for the containers, you can put them back to use by recycling.